Pranab to leave for Manila today

Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee will leave for Manila on Thursday on a two-day official visit to attend the 45th annual meeting of the board of governors of the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

After attending the opening session on May 4, Mr. Mukherjee is slated to address the first business session of the ADB board of governors in the afternoon wherein issues pertaining to the global economic situation, inclusive growth, infrastructure development, urbanisation, energy security, regional and South-South cooperation are likely to come up for discussion.

In Dhaka, on May 6, the Finance Minister's first engagement will be to participate in the concluding ceremony of the 150th Anniversary of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore. Later, Mr. Mukherjee will hold delegation-level talks with Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

He is also slated to have a meeting with Leader of Opposition and Chairperson, Bangladesh Nationalist Party, Begum Khaleda Zia, before leaving for Delhi.